Hazel's Ice Cream Parlor and Fine Drinks
Rating 4.9 (average of 79 opinions)
Hazel's is a modern day ice cream parlor and soda fountain with fine drinks on the side. Located in a historic printing press in the Old City.
An ice cream parlor that sells whisky? What’s up with that?
While maybe not familiar to people living outside of the United States, in fact, there is a strong tradition linking ‘therapeutic’ drinks to ice cream. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, drugstores and pharmacies in the U.S. were the place to be. Many of them housed what were called ‘soda foundations’: a counter where a soda jerk served carbonated beverages, ice cream, and sometimes light meals.
Soda fountains mainly dispensed unflavored carbonated water, to which various syrups were added by hand. As the appeal grew, the menu did as well eventually including ice creams, sundaes, milkshakes, egg creams and a vast range of flavored sodas.
In addition to serving invigorating sodas at their fountains, drugstores continued to provide medicines including opiates, morphines and the like. Most prescription medication at the time were bespoke and blended according to the specific needs of the customer. The heyday of the soda fountains coincided with Prohibition in the U.S. (ban on recreational alcohol consumption) and drugstores with their soda fountains became one of the few places where alcohol, for medicinal purposes, could still be obtained. Additional ‘doses’ of alcohol would be sold on the side at drugstores and would often make their way to the soda fountain or ice cream parlor.
So there you have it, the spirit of the bygone era of soda fountains, drugstores and ice cream parlors lives on at Hazel’s Ice Cream Parlor and Fine Drinks!
Cafe, Ice Cream Shop, Bar
Drinks, Lunch
Suitable for children
Outdoor tables
Table service
Booking is NOT mandatory
0959189898
171 Chakkrapatipong Road, Bangkok, Thailand
Parking in the street
Leave a comment